CVE-2025-57853

Container root escalation via writable /etc/passwd

Published Apr 8, 2026 · Updated Apr 8, 2026

Privilege escalation in Red Hat Web Terminal allows local users with command access to gain root privileges inside an affected container. The tooling image creates /etc/passwd as group-writable, enabling root-group members to append an account with UID 0. Exploitation requires command execution in the container and root-group membership; the resulting privileges remain inside that container.

CVSS severity6.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Red Hat Web Terminal allows local users with command access to gain root privileges inside an affected container. The tooling image creates /etc/passwd as group-writable, enabling root-group members to append an account with UID 0. Exploitation requires command execution in the container and root-group membership; the resulting privileges remain inside that container.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-57853
Published
Apr 8, 2026
Updated
Apr 8, 2026
Vendor
389 Directory Server
Product
Red Hat Web Terminal
Classifications
CWE-276, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 8, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 8, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

389 Directory Server · Red Hat Web TerminalAffected versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

6.4Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-276Incorrect Default Permissions
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo